Christian Counseling Vs Secular Counseling

Having a biblical world view influences an individual’s daily life, especially how he or she offer support and counsel to another. Though there are profound differences between lay Christian counseling and professional counseling, there are a number of overlapping goals and techniques. Moreover, every counselor encounters limitations. Broken people encounter unthinkable tragedies. Therefore, the need for counselors has grown. Furthermore, the challenge of equipping the counselee and providing what they need stands strong. There are many complex layers to Christian counseling. The Journal of Psychology and Christianity explains, “As lay approaches to Christian counseling have multiplied and become increasingly sophisticated, we hypothesize
These are a way to measure progress. In addition, it assists in putting a dream into motion. Furthermore, goals are a vital part of counseling. Goals vary from one session to another due to the fact that each individual has specific needs. At the same time, individuals who seek Christian counseling will have similar goals to another individual seeking the same type of counseling. However, there is a great difference in goals when comparing an individual in Christian counseling and an individual in secular counseling. The goal is treating the mental illness or symptoms in secular counseling. Secular counseling focuses on allowing the individual to feel good or better. In contrast, the goal of Christian counseling is to bring glory to God.
Christians who are in the secular counseling environment have a unique yet challenging chance to minister. It is burdensome when the counselor knows that the counselee does not know Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. It is equally problematic not being able to incorporate the individual’s spiritual well-being, prayer, and Scripture in a counseling session. On the contrary, there are many useful techniques these individuals might chose to
Crafted by Ivan Pavlov. It provides a foundation for some phobias and fears; these are known as learned fears. On the contrary, classical conditioning can be a source of therapy. “One is systematic desensitization, in which an anxiety-producing stimulus is deliberately associated with a positive response, usually relaxation produced through such techniques as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation” (). It has been seen as successful in addictive behavior.
Client- centered therapy is another technique. Developed strictly by Carl Rogers in the early 1900’s (). In this type of therapy, the client has the majority of the responsibility. The counselor, on the other hand, has a non-directive role. Elements of this therapy are congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. Additionally, goals include Increase self-esteem and expand openness to life experiences. Furthermore, sensitivity training methods developed by Kurt Lewin can be utilized.
In conclusion, there are numerous benefits of Christian counseling. Lasting change is seen when the Holy Spirit is involved and there is a transformation of the heart. While secular counseling has its limitations it does utilize good techniques. In addition, it can be helpful to some